A deal between US and UK engineers and the US Department of Defense has been struck, which will see further research and development of Malloy Aeronautics' innovative hoverbike technology carried out at a facility in Hartford County, Maryland. The current prototypes resemble the racers that Luke and Leia used to fly around Endor in the Return of the Jedi, and have similar functions to helicopters, but with added safety features. "With adducted rotors you immediately not only protect people and property when you bump into them, but if you ever were to bump into somebody or property it's going to bring the aircraft out of the air," explains Grant Stapleton of Malloy Aeronautics.

Malloy previously raised over £60,000 ($100,000) through Kickstarter, which enabled the group to create and test a fully-functioning and aviation authority-certified model of their hoverbike technology.

According to Mark Butkiewicz of Service, the US firm that hoping to develop the technology, "The Department of Defense is interested in Hoverbike technology because it can support multiple roles. It can transport troops over difficult terrain... it can also be used to transport logistics, supplies, and it can operate in both a manned and unmanned asset." It could also provide several high-paying jobs in the state of Maryland, say government officials. At the very least, it looks super cool, with a quad aerodynamic concept and sleek design.

"We felt it important to keep drones fun, safe, and accessible to as many people as possible," says Malloy.